Goonch Catfish
The Goonch Catfish (Bagarius yarrelli; in Hindi: गूंचTalk:Bagarius yarrelli - Wikipedia (discussion between SilSinn9801 and Shyamal, a Wikipedia user who studies Indian fauna)), or Giant Devil Catfish, is a large Catfish that lives in India, Nepal, and other East Asian, Asian and Southeast Asian Countries. Description The Goonch catfish is one of the largest species of catfish in the world. It is slightly larger than the red-tail catfish. The world record specimen was 6.6 feet long, and weighed 230 lbs. It has long, sharp teeth which it uses to inflict damage on its prey. It is very likely that a large Goonch could take down a person. Despite the 230 pound accepted max, Jeremy believes he saw a highly overweight goonch while diving that he claims weighed between 800 and 2,000 pounds. Jeremy later said that he believed he hooked the exact same goonch, but like the one in Season 9 he was unable to bring it in. Appearances In Jungle Hooks Jeremy Wade first searched for this fish on camera in 2005 for an episode of the Jungle Hooks series. After a long search, Jeremy finally caught a medium-sized Goonch. He stated that he was glad that he had caught it,, however he was haunted by the image of a larger individual, and eventually would continue his search. In River Monsters In the River Monsters episode "Killer Catfish" (Season 1 Episode 2) Jeremy Wade investigated a series of freshwater attacks on people in the Kali River. After eliminating Mugger Crocodiles (as well as other Himalayan crocodilians like the Gharial), River Dolphins and Turtles from the suspect list, he received a tip that the creature behind the attacks was a Soos. During further investigation, Wade found out that the Soos is a mythical river beast that looks like an elongated pig. He would later find out that the Soos was inspired by the Goonch Catfish. On his next expedition to India he would gradually catch several Goonch Catfish, each one bigger than the last. However, none of these were over 30 pounds. His persistence paid off when he caught a massive Goonch Catfish that was 161 pounds and five feet, seven inches. He was actually dragged into the water during the battle, and had to swim after the fish while holding his rod. After ten years, Jeremy had heard little about the Goonch. He feared that it had gone extinct. In Season 9 Jeremy returned to the haunts of the Goonch, this time in India's neighbor Nepal. He hoped to find proof that the Goonch still lurked in the region's rivers. He tracked down several predators that could be responsible for fishermen being dragged into the water. These included the Gharial and Snakehead. However, they were dismissed because of reasons including lack of strength for the Snakehead and too cold water for the Gharial. Jeremy then goes for the goonch which with little doubt was responsible, yet he has no luck until his final day. However, he catches a Giant Softshell Turtle in a pool. He caught one of these before catching his first goonch. He then gets a bite and is dragged into the water with his rod. He manages to return to his boat, but the goonch has the advantage. After winding the line around a rock the goonch manages to brake the line and escape. In a way, the Goonch can be seen as the original River Monster. In Mighty Rivers The Goonch also appears in Mighty Rivers: The Ganges, when Jeremy sees four specimens using an ROV. This to Jeremy is a very good sign. If the river's two top predators, the Goonch and the Mahseer were still around, this indicates that in some places at least, the river is still living. Gallery Goonch catfish.jpg Angler badge.jpg Goonch.jpg|Goonch finally caught|link=Goonch Catfish Return of the Killer Catfish image 1.jpg|Jeremy on the trail of the Goonch Goonch Mouth.jpg|Would you like to end up down there? 591616e26b66d1822824f1ba.jpeg|"It's Off"|link=Return of the Killer Catfish References Category:Catfish Category:River Monsters Wiki Category:River Monsters Category:India Category:Animals Category:Toothy fish Category:Fish Category:Northern Hemisphere Category:Man-Swallower Category:Predator Category:Animal Category:Season 1 Category:Season 9 Category:Legendary Category:Omnivores Category:Season 10 Category:Mighty Rivers Category:Mighty Rivers Season 1 Category:Double culprits Category:Freshwater Category:Jungle Hooks Category:Bony fish Category:Jeremy Wade